You've probably never heard of Porsche Digital Lab. We don't blame you. Up until a couple of weeks ago, neither had we. 

While it may bear the 'Porsche' word in its name, Porsche Digital Lab has little to do with making the 911s and Macans we see on the road. Instead, it is an innovation laboratory that identifies and tests future-oriented technologies, while also being an incubator for promising tech startups as well.

Porsche Digital Lab visits Southeast Asia

The Porsche Digital Lab in Berlin is headed up by Ms. Anja Hendel, who was recently in Singapore to speak at Innovfest Unbound, the anchor event of the week-long Smart Nation Innovations that showcase Asia's most innovative developments, of which Porsche was the official mobility partner.

There, she highlighted some of the interesting ways that technology can transform the industry, and the specific role that Porsche Digital Lab has to play in this. As we know, the industry is rapidly changing, with a keen focus on electrification, autonomous technology and new digital services.

As Ms. Hendel says, "We cannot predict the future, but we can try to put ourselves in the right position to act when these changes happen. We focus on a lot of new technologies and truly understand them, and show Porsche the opportunities that such technologies can provide the organisation." 

Technology of the future

Of course, automotive-focused technologies are aplenty. From finding new ways to make autonomous driving cheaper and accessible, creating new autonomous solutions within the realm of industrial logistics, as well as using blockchain technology to augment vehicle security, the Porsche Digital Lab is well-invested in such developments.

However, the work of Ms. Hendel's office extends beyond automotive-specific technologies. She highlights how investment in promising new technologies, such as a sound-recognition device that can identify if assemblers have correctly attached electrical connectors, can also have an impact on the vehicle manufacturing process.

Additionally, the Porsche Digital Lab also helps the brand to explore new digital service solutions, which will help in developing viable new future business solutions for the company.

Now with four offices globally, Porsche Digital Lab is looking to open new offices in markets that will connect its unique capabilities with innovative technology companies, start-ups and institutions.

Porsche Digital Lab also recently launched the 'Mobility for a Better World' contest. "You can really apply your ideas for real cities and people and, if you win, you can build some first prototypes with us in the lab. I am looking forward to a lot of ideas from Asia in these categories," says Ms. Hendel.

Explaining the future

Tech boffins may toss around industry buzzwords like deep tech, blockchain and artificial intelligence, words that layman like us may not immediately grasp, but Ms. Hendel also sees Porsche Digital Lab's prerogative in helping to make sense of these technologies and to make them 'explainable'.

Ultimately, change is coming to the industry, in ways that we both can and cannot imagine. It is entities like Porsche Digital Lab that will facilitate the transition from present day to future day scenarios, and we should be excited about how new technologies will change our world.